The average heart rate for a healthy adult falls between 60 and 100 beats per minute. A rapid heart rate, or tachycardia, is a condition in which your heart beats more than 100 times per minute while you are at rest. Tachycardia, one of several arrhythmias that can affect your heart rate, can cause serious symptoms, some of which are dangerous risks to your health, and potentially even your life. Consult with your doctor if you suspect you have the condition.
Tachycardia Symptoms
Some individuals with tachycardia do not exhibit any signs or symptoms of the condition. In these cases, a health care provider usually discovers a rapid heart rate during a routine examination. Others, however, experience extreme symptoms of this arrhythmia. Symptoms of tachycardia include mild to severe chest pain, dizziness, lightheadedness that may lead to fainting, sweating and heart palpitations. Some individuals become extremely pale when experiencing an episode of tachycardia. These symptoms may occur episodically or frequently, in which case they can eventually alter the quality of your life.
Complications
Additional complications can be associated with tachycardia. If, due to tachycardia, your heart loses its ability to effectively move blood through your body, you will develop heart failure. Additionally, tachycardia increases your odds of developing a dangerous blood clot. If undetected and untreated, the clot can cause a heart attack or stroke. Fainting spells increase your risk for falls and potential injuries, including head injury. Finally, an episode of extreme tachycardia, from which your heart cannot recover, can cause spontaneous death.
Risk Factors
Several conditions can increase your risk of developing tachycardia. Your risk for this heart-rate disturbance increases with age, particularly if you have a family history of it. Hypertension causes your heart to strain to beat effectively. Over time, this damages your heart and increases your risk for tachycardia. Chronic stress, both emotional and physical, also increases your risk. Additionally, recreational drug use, too much caffeine and smoking put you at risk for tachycardia, as does drinking alcohol. Heart disease can lead to and exacerbate tachycardia, making the condition harder to control.
Treatment
Depending on the cause and severity of your tachycardia, several treatment options are available. One potential long-term treatment is anti-arrhythmic medications. Your doctor may determine you are a candidate for an ablation procedure performed by your cardiologist, which can cure certain tachycardias. Your doctor may recommend cardioverter defibrillator, which is a small device implanted into your chest. When the device senses abnormality if your heart's rate and/or rhythm, it sends a signal that disrupts and overrides the heart's overactive electrical impulses. Of course, if you experience an episode of tachycardia severe enough to require emergency intervention, the use of cardiopulmonary resuscitation or electrical defibrillation to correct the arrhythmia is imperative.
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